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Four Students, Two Teams Earn Academic Recognition
Two Northwest College athletic programs and four Trapper student-athletes have been recognized by the National Junior College Athletic Association for their efforts in the classroom. The awards were announced this past week by the NJCAA.
Women’s basketball players Meagan Butler and Layana De Souza, volleyball player Danielle Schaal and men’s soccer team member Alan Da Costa all received exemplary academic achievement awards from the NJCAA. The awards are given to student athletes who compile a GPA of between 3.6 and 3.8 during the school year.
Additionally, the Trappers’ volleyball and women’s basketball teams were named All-Academic teams by the NJCAA. Teams whose cumulative GPA finishes above a 3.0 are eligible for the awards and both Northwest College programs honored far surpassed that requirement.
The Trappers’ volleyball team compiled a 3.38 team GPA. The Trapper women’s basketball team finished the spring semester with a 3.32 team GPA.
“We actually set this as a team goal,” said Trapper volleyball coach Shaun Pohlman, who was in his first year at Northwest. His Dodge City teams were no strangers to the NJCAA’s academic honors listings.
“Our goal as a team this season was to carry a 3.3 GPA. It takes a commitment. Northwest College has so many resources available for students. We talk about them as a team and in individual meetings with the players,” Pohlman said.
For NWC coach Janis Beal, it was the third time in as many years that her Trapper basketball team was honored for its academic prowess.
“I think it shows that we try to bring in student-athletes that take their academics and place importance upon them,” said Beal. “It definitely takes some prioritizing when you’re a student-athlete. We spend so much time on the road and a lot of time on the bus and understanding that when you’re on the road that you have to take care of your studies can be a challenge. You don’t always have as much time as some students do to take care of things so you have to stay on top of it.”